Asking Permission
by DarkPoltergeist
Summary: Mulder has a question he wants to ask Scully but makes a point of asking her father's permission even though he is dead. What happens when Mulder actually meets him?


The X-Files does not belong to me, it belongs to Chris Carter, FOX and various others. I am only borrowing the characters for a short time. I promise to put them back when I am done with them.

AU – sometime during season 7

Mulder has a question he wants to ask Scully but makes a point of asking her father's permission even though he is dead. What happens when Mulder actually meets him?

Asking Permission

By Dark Poltergeist

The only sound that broke the silence as the miles slipped by was the cracking of the sunflower seeds, except for that her companion was remarkably quiet.

Scully looked at him, and wondered what was running through his brilliant but often devious mind. He had been quiet the last few days and she had let him be, knowing that when he was ready he would share his thoughts. If not, she felt justified in trying to get the truth out of him. Their recently intimate relationship should entitle her to ask a few well-placed questions, and though they had an uncanny unspoken communication she was beginning to realize that there was also some value in speaking what was on your mind instead of hiding in silence.

"Mulder? Where are we going? Is this a case?"

He startled ever so slightly and Scully smothered a laugh. "Why so jumpy?"

"It's nothing," he said.

"Hmmm," she mused and watched him but except for a quick glance her direction his eyes stayed focused on the road.

"Mulder?"

"No, it's not a case," he said at last.

"Then what?"

"I'm not telling, at least not yet," he glanced at her and his expression was a strange mixture of teasing humor, and frightened sincerity.

"What's going on?"

"Not yet," he murmured.

With a sigh she settled back into her seat knowing there was nothing to be gained by pestering him. Like so many other times she would find out what she needed to when Mulder chose to share the information with her. She hoped their journey wouldn't take too much longer, she was starting to get restless and wanted a bathroom break soon.

"Mulder, what are we doing here?" Scully asked, as she registered where they were.

"You said you needed a bathroom break, so this seemed like a good place to stop."

"I told you that two hours ago, you're lucky I didn't ruin the upholstery."

"I have great faith in you, Scully," he smirked.

With a last curious look over her shoulder, she went inside while he pumped the gas. When she returned feeling relieved and much better, he was leaning against the car waiting for her.

"Mulder, why are we here?"

"Here? We needed gas," he said. "And what do you mean by here? Where is here to you?"

"You don't remember?"

"No, I've never been here before."

"Here is where we scattered my father's ashes after he died. It was Fisher's Pointe, just up the road." She sighed and handed him a cup of coffee. "You're sure this is just coincidence?"

"What else could it be? And I don't remember you ever telling me that."

"I'm sure I did, though we didn't talk about personal things much back then, and sometimes we still don't." She met his gaze. "We need to work on that I think."

He nodded, and reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "I think you're right." He paused. "Ready to go?"

She nodded and removed her hand from his to get into the car.

"Thanks for the coffee," he said once they were seated.

"You're welcome," she said and settled back as he started the car and drove off again.

She was surprised when the car slowed and turned down the road to Fischer's Pointe. She glanced at Mulder but his face revealed nothing. He stopped the car very near where the Scully family had parked their cars on that day when her father was put to his final resting place. Mulder got out of the car and came around to Scully's door and opened it for her, offering her his arm. Surprised at his chivalrous behavior, she placed her hand on his arm and allowed him to escort her to the dock.

Unbidden, tears came to her eyes as she looked out at the peaceful waves lapping against the pillars of the dock, the darkness hiding her tears, but Mulder knew and he drew her to him, holding her tight.

"Mulder?" she murmured against his chest.

"I have something important to do, and it seems kind of silly, but I still feel compelled to do it."

Scully drew back from Mulder and looked into the hazel eyes that she loved so much and saw the sincerity there.

"I don't understand," she said.

Mulder guided her over to a bench and sat her down.

"No reason you should, I'm not completely sure I understand it myself. Just don't laugh too hard," he admonished softly. "And watch, and listen, and you'll understand."

Mystified, Scully settled back against the bench and watched as Mulder went to stand next to the railing where they had scattered her father's ashes. Mulder took a deep breath and looked around him, into the air as he began to speak.

"Mr. Scully, errr, Captain Scully, I've come here to talk to you. I know that you are no longer physically of this world, but I need to talk to you anyway…"

"Mulder, what are you…"

"Scully, shush. Just listen."

Shaking her head, she listened to her partner with interest.

"You see, there is someone I need to talk to you about, it's your daughter, Dana Scully." Mulder met Scully's gaze with an unwavering one of his own. "She is the most amazing, brilliant, beautiful woman I have ever met. She has integrity beyond reproach, and a heart that I can only hope will love me for the rest of time. And her sense of humor is a bonus as she doesn't even mind being called Mrs. Spooky." He paused. "She is my greatest adversary and best friend, and she always keeps me honest. I don't think I could go on without her. And I would never want to…"

Scully felt those damn tears welling up again as Mulder finally broke his gaze from hers and spoke to the air around him.

"She wants us to talk more and I think she's right, but I wanted to do this right, I wanted to get your permission before I asked her…I would like your permission to marry your daughter."

Scully clapped a hand over her mouth as it dropped open in shock.

"What's that?" Mulder cupped a hand to his ear. "You have questions for me? Yes, sir, of course I'll answer them." He paused and looked at Scully. "Why, yes sir, my intentions are honorable, I only want to do right by your daughter."

Scully smiled.

"Did I what sir? Have we…" Mulder looked to Scully as if he was asking for help. "He wants to know if we've slept together," he whispered to her.

Scully giggled. "And are you going to tell him the truth or are you going to lie to him?"

"A very good question, what will work better?"

"The truth always works the best," said a strong masculine voice from behind Mulder. He watched as Scullly's eyes widened and her jaw dropped open, and tears appeared in her eyes.

"Scully?" He shook his head, thinking he must be imagining things, hearing things.

Unable to speak, she got off the bench and pointed at the apparition behind Mulder, the translucent form of her father, decked out in his navy dress uniform. He studied her quietly, his face filled with love for her.

"Hello, Starbuck."

"Ahab?" Scully took a step towards him.

"Ahab? Shit!" Mulder turned around and saw the spirit of Scully's father. Without hesitation he placed himself between the apparition and Scully. "You can't be him."

"And why can't I?" Ahab said in a testy voice as he regarded Mulder, appraising him from head to foot. Then he looked at his daughter. "Dana, really? This is the best you could do?"

"Daddy? How can you be here?"

"You mean how can I be a ghost? You do believe in ghosts now, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered and took a step toward him, when Mulder reached out and stopped her, clutching her arms.

"Scully, you can't go any further."

"Don't be ridiculous, Mulder, it's my father."

"How do you know that? How do you know it's not something pretending to be your father?" he hissed.

She hesitated, uncertain for a moment and looked at the ghost.

Her father met her eyes and touched his hand to his heart. "Who else could I be, Starbuck?"

"It's him, Mulder, it's Ahab."

"But how do you know?"

"The same way that I know that he loves me." Scully said and stepped around Mulder to stop in front of the almost glowing apparition of her father. "What are you doing here, Dad?"

"I have some unfinished business," he said and inclined his head towards her partner.

"Mulder? You need to see him?" Scully was puzzled.

"Yes."

"I don't understand, why?"

"It seems he has a question to ask me, don't you son?"

Mulder watched the exchange with a sense of amazement and fear. He really hadn't believed that he would meet Scully's father tonight, whether real or as a ghost, and it was somewhat disconcerting that he had. And if he was worried about passing inspection with a living man, how could he pass inspection for a ghost? Still, he knew it was better to face up to him than to avoid him. Taking a deep breath, he squared up his shoulders and went to stand in front of the spirit of Captain Scully.

"Yes, sir, I did have a question to ask you. I wanted to ask your permission to marry your daughter, Dana."

"And why do you think you are good enough for her?" The Captain's expression was stern.

"Ahab, stop." Scully scowled at her father. "Mulder, you don't have to answer that."

"No, it's all right, Scully. I want to answer that question." He straightened up and faced the stern looking older man. "I don't think I'm good enough for her, but I will bust my ass to become a man that is good enough for her."

"So you don't think you're good enough for her now?"

"Yes, no, err…" Mulder took a moment to pull himself together. "I love your daughter, I would do anything for her, I would sell my soul to save her, I would go to the ends of the earth for her…" at this he turned and met Scully's gaze.

"Well, I suppose your trip to Antarctica does count for something," the older man rubbed his chin. "But you constantly put her in danger."

"Ahab, that's my choice. And you know better than to tell me what to do." Scully was irritated and stood with her hands on her hips as she looked up into her father's face.

Her father chuckled at her. "It's nice to see that some things never change, Starbuck." He inclined his head towards Mulder. "What do you think? Do you really want this strange man with all of his strange beliefs?"

"He's mine," she said simply in a voice that brooked no argument.

"I see. And Mr. Mulder, you think it's appropriate to be sleeping with my daughter?"

"Sir, given my feeling for her I think it's very appropriate."

"A little soon, don't you think?" He said in a somber voice but Dana saw the twinkle in her father's eyes.

"Soon? Soon? We waited seven years for crying out loud!" Mulder sputtered.

The Captain chuckled and his gaze met Mulder's as they stared at each other for several moments. Mulder seemed to understand that the Captain wanted to know the truth behind his words, and as much as he could, he opened his thoughts up to the other man. After a few moments the older man looked at him and gave him a brief nod.

"So, Starbuck, do you want to marry him? If you want him, he has my permission."

"I do, that's great! Thank you, sir." Mulder reached out to shake his hand, then realized that he couldn't and helplessly let his hand drop to his side.

"Mulder," Scully put a hand on his arm and waited for him to look at her.

"Scully, what?" He was worried when he saw the guarded look on her face.

"Don't take the wrong, I mean, I know how hard this was for you but…I don't want to marry you."

"You…what?" Mulder shook his head. "You don't want to marry me? I somehow managed to actually ask your father's permission and you say no? Un fucking believable!" He wheeled around and stalked off the dock into the darkness.

"He's yours, Starbuck, you'd better go get him." Her father's translucent form shimmered ever so slightly.

"Will you be here when I get back?"

"No, my girl, it's time for me to go. But I'm always here," he tapped her heart. "He's a good man, Dana, and you've hurt him; I only hope you have a very good reason for turning him down."

"Ahab…" tears were running down Dana's face.

"Explain it to him, Starbuck. Don't make him wonder. And if you do love him, as I know you do, tell him so. It helps our egos you know." He gave her a soft smile and for just a moment, stroked her hair and Dana swore she felt the softest of touches.

Then she blinked, shook her head, and he was gone.

"Mulder!" She yelled running down the path she knew that he had taken.

She found him sitting on a tree stump in the dark, chewing on sunflower seeds. It was that familiar sound that attracted her attention. He was bathed in the moonlight and the way it reflected off of him made him appear somewhat other-worldly. She shook that thought off and approached him slowly, not sure how he would react.

"Mulder?" She quietly sat down beside him on the stump, leaving some space between them. He didn't quite flinch at her proximity, and remained silent. "Are you mad?"

"What do you think?" He asked, and she heard the bitter edge to his voice.

"I think I should explain myself better so that you can understand why I said what I did."

He huffed but said nothing so she took that as acquiescence.

She turned to face him but he avoided looking at her. "Mulder, it's not so easy for us, for me, to talk about how I really feel about things, but the truth is that I love you. I love you now and I think I've loved you for a very long time but I didn't want to admit it to myself."

"What's a matter, Scully? Too scared?"

"Yes, Mulder, that's exactly it. I am scared to love you the way I do, I've never loved anyone the way I love you. You don't understand, but you're like a thunderstorm full of power and passion, one that builds and builds and then turns into something so intense that it sweeps up everything in its path. Loving you with your intensity scares me. What if I can't measure up to what you want? What if I'm not enough for you? If I give myself over to you how do I know that you'll take me seriously? And how do I know that I won't always be second to your work?' She dropped her gaze and sighed.

They were silent for a while after that.

"Scully, Dana, I love you. Why can't that be simple?" He turned to face her, his earnest expression filled with need.

"Mulder, everything about us, and our relationship is complicated."

"Then let's uncomplicated it."

"How?"

"Can't we just love each other and go forward from there? Take one day at a time?" He sighed. "You mean more to me than anything, Dana. If you want…I'll find a different job, give you that more normal life that you want."

"Oh, Mulder, I can't ask you to do that, you have to do that because you want to, not because you think it would make me happy."

More silence.

"So you don't want to marry me?" He tried to hide it but she heard the pain in his voice.

"Mulder, look at me." After a moment he did. "I do want to marry you, but not now. This change to our relationship is still new, I think we need some time to adjust to it and just be us, don't you?"

"I suppose," he grumbled.

"I need some time to get used to things."

"I thought you wanted me to get out of the car," he said.

"I do, but when you're ready; not because you feel it's the right thing to do." She took his hand and rubbed it between the two of hers.

"It's not a show, Scully, I meant it, and I mean it."

"I do too, I love you, Mulder. But let's take some time to enjoy what we have. Can we do that?"

"Yeah, I guess." He grinned back at her. "As long as I get to see you naked."

"The feeling is mutual," Dana smiled in relief.

"So you'll marry me someday?" He asked in a hopeful voice.

"Someday, Mulder, I promise," she said and their lips met for a sweet, lingering kiss. "So can we go home now? I really don't want to spend another night in the forest."

"No, you see I was planning to sweep you off your feet with my marriage proposal and then after you said yes I was going to take you to the romantic B and B that I have reservations at and make love to you for the entire night." He sighed. "But that didn't go according to plan."

"You have reservations?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So we can still use them, then we don't have to drive back, or stay out here tonight." She nuzzled his neck, leaving a trail of kisses there. "You can still romance me and keep me otherwise occupied."

"Yes, I could, couldn't I?" He gave her a lecherous grin. "All right, Scully, let's enjoy what we have and go from there." He pulled her to her feet and held her close for just a few moments before letting her go. "But one of these days you will be completely mine."

"Mulder, I already am," she said as she leaned into him for an extended kiss. "Come on," she held out her hand and led him out of the woods back to their car.

Ahab watched his little girl, now a grown woman as she left with her beloved.

Strange man but as long as he made his little girl happy, he was all right with it. And he knew that Special Agent Mulder was a good man and would do anything to protect his daughter, and most of all that he loved her with every fiber of his being. They had a love that was rare, and how could he deny that to his little girl?

With one last lingering smile, he gazed at the car that was just now starting its engine, and the smiling face of his daughter who remained oblivious to his presence.

"Goodbye Starbuck, be happy." And he vanished.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

AN: Please read and review – you will make my day!


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